Is Your Athlete a Gamer, Choker or Steady Eddie? Some kids perform better in competition than in practice. Some struggle with maintaining their focus during practice because it lacks the excitement of a match or game. And some excel in practice, but underperform during competitions or matches. These athletes often … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How to Help Young Athletes Develop a Growth Mindset Christian Buck, a performance coach and author of The Sport of School, says it’s critical for young athletes–and students–to establish a long-term vision and goals that support it. He teaches high schoolers how to create a vision and goals–in both sports and … Read Sport Psychology Tip
When Self-Talk Isn’t Enough for Athletes Brad Donohue, a psychology professor and sports psychology expert at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is conducting some eye-opening studies about how motivational phrases help athletes perform. In one of his studies, coaches or peers said a string of phrases to runners … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Parents: Motivating Your Young Athletes Sports parents and coaches tell us that one of their biggest challenges is motivating their young athletes– especially without pressuring them. Parents often say that their athletes have loads of talent, but don’t like to practice. Coaches sometimes say their kids like to goof off … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Playing Time in Youth Sports Here’s an interesting study result: If young athletes have to choose between losing and getting to play the whole game, they choose playing time. That’s a tidbit from Steven Frierman, a professor at Hofstra University and a former youth sports coach. Yes, that’s right. Winning … Read Sport Psychology Tip